Rethink the 2016 NJ Budget: There’s More Than One Budget Crisis

25 May 2015 9:00 AM |
Anonymous

If I say the phrase Budget Crisis, what is your first thought?

My guess is that most people think of some version of a mismatch between spending and revenues, creating the crisis of what do we cut?

If that is your image, it is an accurate one. The state of New Jersey is clearly facing a fiscal imbalance with revenues falling short of the various obligations and important needs that the state budget needs to fund. This imbalance does, in fact, lead to a predictable crisis and the implications for New Jersey are frightening. What is more, our state has a long history of kicking problems down the road, elevating those problems to truly crisis proportions.

But we have more than one crisis. We are facing a crisis of community.

But this is not how true communities function. Ghandi once said that “a nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats it weakest members.” This truth applies to states as well.

Budget pressures are real, there is no doubt about that, but ignoring basic needs and restricting access to opportunity cannot be the solution. We need to pull together and draw on the resources we have, including those who have benefitted the most from our state, to make sure that all members of our community have a chance.

The Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey, together with our partners, is seeking to shine a light on the community crisis facing New Jersey, and on the solutions that are proven to make a difference. Our white paper on three essential elements to the effort to end poverty provides detailed information and recommendations on what New Jersey needs to do to change course.